Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-10
IN MEXICO.
SOMETHING OF LIFE AMONG THE
MEXICANS.
Cavern OF CacahuamiIpa-
Southern Mexico.


Travellers in this queer State of Morelos
should not fail to visit the cavern of Caca-
huamilpa, whose actual wonders surpass
anything found by Sinbad the Sailor or
all descriptions of the tabled abodes of the
Genii 1t lies in that rugged mountain
range about thirty miles southwest of the
State capital, Cuernavaca, and is of I'M
known extent, having as yet been explored
only to the distance of ten or twelve miles,
Until comparatively recent period the
great cave was known only to the Indians
alone; or, if the early Spaniards had heard
anything about it, its existence was en-
tifely forgotten. Some fifty years ago a
noted criminal for whom the country was
being secured, sought it as a place of ref
uge, and in hunting for him the cavern was
re-discovered. Although in former days
it may have been used as place of wor-
ship by Toltecs, Tlahuicas, or some other
vanished people, superstitious fears have
kept the modern Indians of many genera
tions as far away from it as possible; since
all the natives roundabout firmly believe
that within its shining recesses
THE EVIL SPIRIT HAS ITS DWELLING,
In the form of goat, with horns and long
beard. who guards the entrance to his sub
terrsnean abode. And, true enough, lust
inside that vast and gloomy palace there
is such a figure, surrounded by many other
mysterious, gigantic and most extraordin-
airy forms, which it is scarcely possible to
believe are only the fantastic productions
of the water that, through slow centuries
has been trickling, drop by drop, from the
lofty roof. The few natives who, from any
cause, have yentured within the portal and
beheld these apparitions, brought back
such wild tales to their credulous compau-
ions, that even the neighborhood of the
enchanted mountains has been carefully
avoided, especially at night fall, and peo-
pie spoke of it in whispers.
But several celebrated travellers have
visited the place; and a few years ago a
great cavalcade of Mexican notables.
headed by the President, made pilgrim
age here, meeting with numerous acct
dents and adventures. Perhaps the best
description of the cavern ever given is
that by one of this party, Senior Antonio
Cubas-a well-known Mexican geographer
and statistician-in his " Una Excursion
de la Caverna de Cacahuamilpa"
As is usually the case, the information
concerning the cavern that can be OBJ
tanned in its vicinage is scanty indeed, the
people Whereabouts being interested only
in keeping at a respectful distance. But
Mexico Is not singular in this respect In
the course of my life | have met many
Kentuckians, and, having always great Gu
riosity concerning the one wonder of that
State, / have said to each and every one OF
them, " suppose you have visited the
Mammoth Cave p and, actually, [ have
never yet seen person from Kentuck-
who replied in the affirmative, though
most of them avowe6 their intention of do
ing the cave some timer 1t is the way
of the world, you know, to put off investi-
eating things close at hand, though others
cross the ocean to see them. Even Gen
Morgan, late American Minister in Mex
leo, confesses to having dwelt long within
twenty miles of the Pyramids of Gizeh
yet left Egypt without ever having seen
them,
OF course our Cuernavaca acquaint-
ances endeavored to dissuade us from
making the journey, telling us dissourag.
ing tales of
PERKS BY SEA AND PERKS BY LAND
in the shape Of rushing rivers to be forded
and robbers hidden in lonely gorges of the
mountains; but we long ago learned that
nose expeditions which are easy of ac-
complishment, and which ali the world
has made are generally not worth the
making. With considerable difficulty we
at length induced several amicably-dis-
posed Americans like ourselves
IN 10 Il.
quently joined by two Young German la
dies, resident Italian and his wife, and a
charming Mexicana, attended by several
of her male relatives.
The cavern can be reached only on
horseback; and as no hotel accommoda-
tions are obtainable, blankets, provisions
etc, for several days had to be ''toted, y
besides a lot of colored lights and fire
works that our Mexican friends insisted
upon taking, with which to illuminate the
crystal walls of the interior, to the immi-
nent danger of the donkey upon whose
back they were packed, and which we
momentarily expected to see ascending
skyward in small particles, like the dog
Sycamore that swallowed the fire-crackers.
As mentioned in a previous letter, this
old, old city lies about four thousand feet
SNeA1
from the mountain, surrounded by two
barraneas, or ravines, of great length and
dizzy depth. Because of its natural situa-
ton the ancient inhabitants when the
town was known as Cuauhnahuac "The
Flower-surrounded') considered themselves
perfectly secure from the assaults of any
enemy. And, indeed, Cuauhnahuac was
one of the most difficult captures of all the
Spanish invasion, held III the embrace of
these two stupendous gulleys and backed
by an impossible mountains While the
rest of Mexico was falling into the hands
OF the greedy conquistadores, its citizens
1.-THE peaceful Tlahuicas) went calmly
about their business, believing their an
cient stronghold impregnable. But alas j.,
THEY RECKoNED WITHOUT THEIR HOST
Having had no previous experience with
Christian" warriors. | think it was in
the spring of 1921, while preparations
were going on for the final investment of
the Aztec capital, that the Spanish army,
purely for the pleasure of the conquest
and the hope of finding gold, concluded to
attack unotfending Cuernavaca For a
long time they could make no headway.
being completely baffied by the deep ra-
vines that encompassed the town. At last
while searching in vain for a bridge or
means to make one, some of the soldiers
found two trees, which had happened to
fall across the narrowest portion of the
abysmal channel in such a way that their
topmost branches rested insecurity upon
one side and their roots on the other.
Over this perilous pathway the intrepid
rascals Tawled on all fours," at the risk
of their lives, rallied on the other side
and captured the astonished town.
| confess l never could believe this
Story, as told by the old chroniclers, until |
had viewed the ravine myself, perhaps at
the very spot where the conquerors crossed.
Then | readily saw that, though hazard
Gus, II was possible for them to have ac-
complished it; but no one need doubt that
as the books say, numbers of them fell off,
through dizziness, and were dashed in
pieces on the rocks below
The eastern chasm is narrowest, being
not over thirty feet in width, but fullY
eighty feet deep. 1t is now spanned by
the quaintest structure that ever bridget
barranca-a double arch of solid masor
L